Emergency support for brake rods and brake beams



Oct. 19, 1937. E. H. WATERMAN EMERGENCY SUPPORT FOR BRAKE RODS AND BRAKE BEAMS Filed Aug. 16, 1935 4 INVENTOR.

A'ITORNEY6I Patented Oct. 19, 1937 UNITED STATES EMERGENCY SUPPORT FOR BRAKE AND BRAKE BEAMS RODS Edwin H. Waterman, Munhall, Pa. Application August 16, 1935, Serial No. 36,511

10 Claims.

This invention relates to safety supports for the bottom rods and brake beams of brake assemblies on railway car trucks, and has for its objects the provision of a safety support for this purpose which is simple in construction, easily assembled, dependable, substantially free from vibration relative to the truck, permanently locked'to the truck, and displaceable to permit the brake beams to be dropped straight down when it is desired to remove them for replacement or repair.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a railway car truck; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the safety support and adjacent members; Fig. 3' is an enlarged fragmentary plan View of the support; Fig. 4 is an end view of the safety support, partly in section, and adjacent members as viewed from the right in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 a fragmentary plan view of the support and its retaining member partly assembled; and Fig. 6 a sectional View to enlarged scale taken on the line VI-VI of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing, the railway truck is provided with the usual spring plank l in the form of a channel from each side of which a metal strap in the form of a stirrup 2 is suspended. Each stirrup has a horizontal base portion 3, and a pair of vertical side arms 4 the upper ends of which are bent over a side flange of the spring plank channel and either welded, riveted or otherwise rigidly attached thereto. Passing through the open areas of the stirrups beneath the spring plank is the bottom rod 6 to the opposite ends of which the lower ends of the truck levers l are pivotally connected. If for any reason the bottom rod accidentally drops, it is caught and supported by horizontal'portions 3 of the stirrups and thereby prevented from falling upon the track and derailing the car.

As shown in Figs. 4. and 6, one arm 41 of each stirrup is provided with an opening 8 directly below the spring plank, and in these a guide member 9 is mounted. This is preferably a U- shaped' member which is extended through the 1 openings 8 with its upper edges bearing against the bottom of the spring plank. When it is formed one end I I of this guide member is bulged outwardly sufficiently so that it will engage the stirrup and limit its movement through the openings 8 when it is initially installed, and after it is in place the opposite end lid is also expanded or flared to prevent it from being withdrawn.

Slidably disposed in the guide member is an elongate supporting member or safety bar l2, also preferably U-shaped in cross section; The opposite ends of the safety bar project from the ends of the guide member and extend beneath the brake beams l3 of the truck. The safety bar is normally maintained in this positionby a detachable locking member, such as a cotter pin l4, extending through registering apertures in the bar and the end of the guide member adjacent bulge l I. In case one or both of the brake beams accidentally drops down, it is caught and supported by the projecting ends of the safety bar below.

If at, any time it becomes necessary or it is desired to remove a brake beam from the truck for replacement or repair, the obstruction to dropping it straight down, normally presented by the safety bar, is removed by first taking out cotter pin I4 and then sliding the bar longitudinally in the guide member away from the beam that is to be removed. However, the safety bar can not be removed entirely from the guide member and mislaid or lost, because its end corv ners l5 after assembly are turned laterally outward to prevent them from passing through the guide member. Preferably, one side of the guide member, 9 is initially'bowed inwardly sufficiently as shown in Fig. 5 to cause it to engage thesafety bar with enough frictional pressure to, prevent the latter from rattling in the guide member or moving therein with freedom.

A safety support constructed in accordance with this invention can be quickly assembled, and when once affixed to a car truck it remains attached although the safety bar can be slid from operative position to permit the brake beams to be easily removed from the truck when desired. The structure is a strong and dependable support for the brake beams as well as the bottom rod, and its variousparts are protected from rattling and wear because they are connected tightly together to prevent them from vibrating.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the construction and operation of my invention, and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best' embodiment. However, I desire to have itunderstood that, within the scope of theappended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described. J

I claim:

1. The combination with a spring plank of a at their upper endsto said spring plank, a' side arm of each stirrup being provided with an opening therethrough, an elongate member slidably disposed in said openings, and detachable means a 'for normally locking the elongate member in fixed position in said openings with its opposite ends projecting therefrom "for catchingand supporting said brake beams in case theydrop, said ends of' the elongate-member beingformed 'for'retaining 7 bottom rod 'andbrakeibeams comprising a pair of' V stirrups having baseportions disposed below said itin'said openings when said locking means is removedy 3. Thecombination with a spring plank of a railway car truckjof 'a safety support for the {bottom rod and vertical side armsconnected at their upper ends to said spring plank; a sidearm of each stirrup being provided with an opening therethrough, a guide member extending through said openings and secured therein, an'el'ongate member slidably disposed in said guide member, and means for normally" locking the elongate member in fixed position in the guide member with its opposite ends projecting therefrom-for catching and supporting'said brake beams in case they drop.

4. The combination'with a spring plank of a railway car truck, of a safe ty support 'for the hot-'- 7 tom rod and brake ibeam's comprising a pair of stirrups having base portions disposedbelow said bottom rodand vertical side arms connected at their upper ends tosaid spring plank, aside arm 7 of each stirrup being provided with an opening therethrough, a' guide member extending'through and means for normally locking the elongate 'member in fixed position in the guide member with its opposite ends projecting-therefrdm for' v catching and supporting said brake-beams in case' they drop, said ends of the elongate 'member having ilaterally projecting portions for limiting the movement of the elongate member a through said guide 'm embe'r iwhen'said locking means is removed w i '51Thiebombination-with a spring plank of a railway car truck, 'of a safety support for :the bottom rod and brake beams comprising a' pair of stirrups having baseportions disposed'below said bottom rodand vertical side arms connected t atitheir upper ends to said spring plank; aside armfofieach'stirrup being provided with-an opening therethrough, a guide fme'mber extending through said openings and secured therein; an

elongate member'slidably disposed in said guide member with its opposite ends projecting there from-for catching and-supporting said brake beamsincase they drop, one end of the guide" member and said elongate member being provided withi'registering apertures extending transversely o therethrou'gh; and a detachable member extending throughsaidjapertures, 7

railway jcar truck of a safety support for" the e 1 bottom rod and brake beams comprising a pair of 'stirrups having horizontal base portions disposed below" said bbttom rod and vertical side i aooc ow said openings and secured thereinyan elongate 7 member" slidably disposed in said guide member,

6. The 'combinationwith a s p ring plank 61 a armsconnected at their upper'ends to said spring plank, a side arm of each stirrup being p'rovided with an opening therethrough a guide member 7 extending through said openings} said member being provided adjacent one end with a bulged portion and the opposite end of the member bein flared to thereby lock the member in said open-.

ingsg a safety bar slidablydisposed in said guide from' for catching and supporting said brake 'member with its opposite ends projecting there-' beams in case they drop, said bar and the end of;

the guide memberadjacent said bulge being provided'with registeringapertures extending transverselyitherethrough', and a. cotter pin disposed in.

said apertures;

: 7. The combination with a spring plank ofa railway car truck, of a safety support for the bottom rodand brake'bearns comprising a'pair posed below said bottom rod and vertical side 10f stirrups having horizontal base portions disarms connected at their upper ends to saidsprlng,

plank, a side arm of each stirrupi'being provided 7 with an opening therethroughya guide member substantially U-ishape in cross sectidn,"a safety bar slidably disposed in said guidemember'gone frictionally engage thesafety bar, and detachable side of the guide member being bent inwardly to a means for locking the bar .in the guide member case they drop. 7

"with its opposite; ends projecting therefrom. for 5' catching andsuppoiting saidbrake beams in 8.7 The combination with the spring plank of a railway'car' truck of a safety support for the- 'brake beams comprising a pair offspaced indee i pendent members securedto opposite sides of saidiplank and projecting below it, each of said members being provided with anopeningitherethrough, a guide member extending through said openings, an elongate .member slid ably disposed in said guideimember, andmean's for detachably locking the elongate .member in, substantially;

fixedposition insaid guide member with its. oppo site sends projecting therefrom for catching and supporting said brakejbeams in case 1t hey 'drop.-

9. The combination with the spring plank'of a railway car truck of a safety support for the bers being provided with an opening theree through, a guide member extending through said Vbrake beams comprising .a pair of spaced independent memberssecurled to opposite sides of said plank and projecting below it, each of said meme 'openingsan elongateniember slidably disposed in said guidememberwith its opposite .ends-pro-f :jecting therefrom for catching and supporting 'saidibrake beams in case they drop, one end of 5 5 the guide member and said elongate member tending transversely therethrou h; and a; detachable member extending through'sald apertures; 1

10. The combination with the spring plank of being provided with 'registering'aperturesexarrailway cartruck', of a safety'support forthe 1 brake beams comprising-a pair of bracketsjse-q- V cured toopposite sides of said plank and'projecting below it with axially aligned openings through i their'projected portions, a' hollow metal member extending throughsaid openings below the plank,

the'opposite ends of sa'id member; being provided with portions extending' laterally ofithe'outer faces of the brackets'to'lock said membenand bracketstogether, and an elongate 'membendis:

posed. in said hollow memberrwith its; opposite ends projecting therefromifor catching and-supporting said brake beams incase they drop. 7 I j EDWIN H. WA'I'EBMAN; 

